Chusetts



F..B. CROSBY WIRE} DRAWING-MACHINE Jan; 29 1924.

Filed Aug. '7. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l lllllllllln l Jan. 29 1924."

F. B. CROSBY WIRE. DRAWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED B. CROSBY, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CONSTRUC- TION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

i WIRE-DRANING MACHINE.

Application filed August 7, 1920. Serial No. 401,840.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED B. CROSBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in a TVire DraWing Machinegof which the following, together with the "accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to wire drawing machines of the type in which a rotating drum or block is employed, whereon the wire is wound as it is drawn through a reducing die. I I

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved form of wire drawing block and to provide a novel arrangement of parts in connection therewith, wherebythe blocks may be operated in units to obtain the most 20 useful and efficient results for the wire drawing installation, as a whole. These and other advantageous features of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear. reference being had to the accompanying drawinns, in which p H Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showinc; a pluralityof my improved wire drawing blocks arranged in units in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a. plan view of one of the units shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line a 3, Fig. 2. i

Figure 4 is a partial sectional View the line 44, Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the details of the coiling cage used in connection with one ofthe wire drawing blocks.

Figures 6 and 7 arediagrammatic viewsshowing the different ways of drawing wire on a single unit.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of a plurality of wire drawing units.

"lar'parts throughout the different'figures. Referring to Fig. 1, there are shown a pair of wire drawing units A and B, each of which comprisesabench 1, upon the top of'which are'mounted wire drawing blocks 2. Projections 3 are provided between each along;

Similar reference characters refer to simipair of blocks 2 for supporting suitable drawing dies, whiohwill be hereinafter referred to. A bench 1 with a pair of blocks 2. together with the apparatus for driving the same, constitutes a single unit, and as each unit is substantially the same in construction, only one unit need be described in detail.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, each block 2 is provided with a vertical arbor 4 that is rotatably supported in a pedestal 5 secured to the top plate 6 of bench 1. The top plate 6 is provided with annular projections 7 and 7 that are countersunk, as indicated at 8, to receive a flange 9 at the base of each block 2. An internal gear 10 is secured to each flange 9 by set screws 11, or any other suitable retaining means.

As best shown in Fig. 4 the pedestal 5 is provided with a. laterally extending portion 12, within which is journalled the upper end of a countershaft 13. A pinion 14 is carried by a collar 15 slidably mounted on the countershaft 13 and adapted to rotate therewith. The pinion 14 is in mesh with the internal gear 10 in its upper position. and is adapted to be moved out of engagement therewith by means of a lever 16, the end of which engages an annular groove 17 provided on the collar 15. The lower end of the countershaft 13 is supported in a pedestal bearing 18 and is provided with aspiral gear 19. The gear 19 is in mesh with a spiral pinion 20 carried at one end of the armature shaft 21 of an electric motor 22. The other end of the armature shaft 21 is similarly provided with a spiral pinion 23 that is in mesh with a spiral gear 24 carried on a countershaft 25 extending upwardly into the left hand block 2. The left hand block 2 is provided with an internal gear 26 that is adapted to beengaged by apinion 27 slidably mounted on the shaft 25 in the same manner as the pinion 14.

The lever" 16 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 28 and its left hand end is in engagement with the collar, not shown, which carries the pinion 27. The shaft 28 projects outside the wall of the bench 1 and is provided with a rocker arm 29 having a projection 30 at its lower end. that is adapted to be embraced by a yoke 31 projecting up wardly from a foot pedal 32. The foot pedal 32 is pivotally mounted at 33 and is adapted to be depressed from either side oi? its pivotal point. Vhen the right hand side or the pedal 32 is depressed, as shown in the drawing, the lever 16 is turned about its pivot in a countercloclnvise direction to move the pinion 14 into mesh with the internal gear 10 of the right hand block 2, while the pinion 27 is held out of mesh with the gear 26 of the left hand block. It is obvious that when the foot pedal 32 is depresed on the left hand side, the left hand block 2 will: be connected to the motor, While the right hand block remains idle. \Vhen the foot pedal 32 is left in a substantially horizontal position, the lever 16 will hold bothpinions 14 and 27 out of engagement with their respective internal gears 10 and 26. v

The rocker arm 29' is provided with a pair of contact plates 34 on opposite sides thereof that are adapted to engage respective pairs of contact members 35 and 36 when the foot pedal 32 is'in either of its depressed positions. Each pair of contact members 35 and a 36 is connected in the electrical control circuit of themotor 22 so that the circuit remains open when the foot pedal is in its intermediate or horizontal ,position and the motor cannot be started. When, however, the foot f edal 32 is depressed, either contact plate 341s adapted to bridge a pair of con-' tact members and so make it the motor. i

A wire drawing die 37 is mounted on the projection 3 between the drawing blocks 2, and a guide wheel 38 is mounted'directly above the dieopening in order to direct the wire therethrough. A switch lever 39, pivotally mounted on the top plate 6 at 40, is provided at its upper end with an opening 41, through which the wire is adaptedto pass on. its way through the die 37. The lower endzof the lever39 isprovided with a contact arm :42 that is*normallyada pted to bridge a pair of contact members 43 also connected in the control circuit of the motor 22. As long as the wire is passing through the die properly, the lever 39 remains in the position shown, but upon the possible to start occurrence of a kink. or in event of the wire becoming entangled with the hand or armof the operatonthe lever 39 is turned about its pivot to interrupt the circuit between the contact members 43 and so stop the motor 22. The switch levers 39 are placed on both sides of the projection 3, so as to receive wire coming in either direction to the die 37.

Referring again-to Fig. '1, a suitable derrick or hoist 4 4 is gpivotallvmounted between the wire drawing units A and B, and is provided with means for ralsmg and lowering a coiling 45 and swinging it clear of the benches 1. As best shown in Fig. 5, the cage 45 comprises a plurality of ribs 46, converging at the to and secured together at the bottom by a ring 47. Each wire drawing block 2 is .providedwith' a-plurality of slots 48 arranged to receive the ribs 46 of the cage 45 and to permit the cage to be low cred upon the block. The projection 7 above which tlie'hlock isadapted to'turn is provided with a depression 49toreceive the ring 47 when the cage is lowerednpon the block. Inthis position of the cage 45, the block presents an unbroken periphery so that the wire maybe coiled smoothly thereon. When acomplet coil has been drawn onto theblo'ck, the ribs 46 of the cage are completely surrounded bythe coil, so that when the cage is lifted oil? the block by means of the hoist 44, the ring 47 ofcthe cagewillstrip thecoil from the block. The completed'coil may thenl'i'e deposited onthe floor beside the benches 1, or-may be; placed upon an adjacent block for further drawing. Obviously the cage 45 may be'usedin connection witha hoist' carried by'an overhead conveyor extending above a number of drawingblock units.

Referring now to Fig. 6, there is shown, diagrammatically, the direction of the flow ofm'etal when one-block of a given unit is driven in a given direction of'rotation by the motor. In this case, the metal is first drawn off ofone sideof the block 2'onto the same side of block 2 and then, by reversing the mot0r,ofi' of block 2 onto thesame side of block2. This reverses-the flow ofmetal throughthe die 37 which,-it has been fbund, tends to eliminateslivers and breakages of the wire.

When it is desired to draw from one block to another, without changing the direction of flow of the metal. the'blocks 2 and 2" are driven in opposite directions of rotation by the motor. This may be readily accomplished by employing right and left hand spiral :pinions on the"armature shaft of the motor. The die 37 is placed midway between the blocks ."withzthis arrangement, as indicated in Fig. 7 and ?the metal is drawn off of; one side of block '2. onto the opposite side of-block2 and then'o'fi' the other side "of block 2 onto the opposite side of block'2, without reversing its. direction of flow through the die, and without reversing the motor.

Fromthe foregoing, itfi's apparent that my arrangement of the hlocksiin units is particularly advantageous from an operating standpoint, for the reason that a single unit may be used continuously for successive individual motor drive for each unit is also very desirable from an operating standpoint, for the reason that the failure of a motor will shut down only one unit of the entire installation, and only such blocks as are in actual use need be operated, thus reducing stand-by power losses.

The separate units are readily arranged in any desired relation to each other, which results in a greater economy of building space than has been possible heretofore with a large number of blocks arranged side by side upon a, single'bench. It is obvious that the units can be assembled together to provide either a continuous bench, or any desired geometrical arrangement, such as is shown in Fig. 8. Here the several wire drawing units A, B, C, D, etc., are arranged so that a single hoist is adapted to serve twelve blocks, all of which are readily accessible to the operators from all sides. This arrangement, in itself, provides a greater degree of safety for the operators, due to the elimination of blades and loose wire from the floor and the provision of clear passage ways around the units. The operation of the units with a coiling cage and a hoist also results in increased tonnage for the installa tion, due to the saving of time previously lost in lifting coils on and off the blocks after each draft. This heavy lifting has heretofore required the employment of men of exceptionally strong physique to the exclusion of otherwise skillful operators. It is obvious that either individual jib cranes or overhead travelling hoists can be employed to serve any desired grouping of the units.

In the actualdrawing operation, the use of an adjustable speed electric motor for each pair of blocks permits the successive drafts to be carried on at the highest practical speed and with a maximum output. The motor control can also be designed to give the proper torque characteristics and thereby minimize the strain on the wire and dies at starting. The employment of individual adjustable speed electric motors also results in a flexibility of control not heretofore obtained, for the motors are arranged to be automatically stopped in case the wire snarls before entering the die, and are adapted to be started with automatic control only when either block of a unit is connected to the motor by the gearing. The simple mechanical construction of each unit permits lifting each block off its driving mechanism for examination and repair, and also permits the ready inspection of the electric motor by lifting off the top plate of a unit.

A further advantage of my arrangement for driving the blocks lies in the fact that the pinions for driving the same apply the driving force on the periphery of the drum, at substantially the point where the wire is drawn on the drum. This minimizes the Strains caused by the draft and permits a very light weight block to be employed.

I claim.

1. A wire drawing unit comprising a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on the top of said bench, a die located between said blocks, a separate source of power located within said bench, and means for selectively connecting said blocks to said source of power to draw wire through said die in either direction.

2. A wire drawing unit comprising a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on the top of said bench, a separate source of power located within said bench, and means for selectively connecting said blocks to said source of power, whereby either of said blocks may function as a drawing means or as a supporting means for the material being drawn.

3. A wire drawing unit comprising a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on the top of said bench, a separate source of power located within said bench, and means for selectively connecting said blocks to said source of power, whereby both blocks may be employed continuously for successive drafts with either block functioning as a drawing means.

4. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a die located between said blocks, a pair of blocks mounted on top of the bench, an electric motor located within the bench, and means for operatively connecting, or disconnecting, either of said blocks to said motor to draw wire through said die in either direction.

5. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a pair of blocks mounted. on top of the bench, an electric motor located within the bench, gearing for operatively connecting the armature shaft of said motor to either of said blocks, and means for selectively controlling the arrangement of said gearing, whereby only one of said blocks can be connected to said motor at one time.

6. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on top of the bench, an electric motor located within the bench, gearing adapted to connect the armature shaft of said motor to said blocks, and means for preventing the starting of said motor until one of said blocks is connected to said motor shaft.

'7. In a wire drawing machine, the combination with a bench having a pair of blocks mounted on the top thereof, an electric motor located within the bench for driving either of said blocks, and a drawing die positioned between said blocks, of means for automatically stopping said motor upon snarling of the wire before it enters the die.

In a wire drawing machine, the combination with a bench having a pair of blocks mounted on the top thereof, an electric motor located within the bench for driving either of said blocks, and a drawing die positioned between said blocks, of a switch arm located between the die and the block supporting the material being drawn for auto matically stopping the motor upon the occurrence of a snarl in the wire.

9. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on top of said bench and 'each provided with an internal gear, a source of power located within said bench, a countershaft extending upwardly within each block and connected to said source of power, and a pinion slidably mounted on each countershaft for connecting each block to the source of power through its internal gear.

10. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on top of said bench, and each. provided with an internal gear, a source pr power located within said bench, a 'co'iintershfa'ft extending upwardly within each block and connected to said source of power, a pinion sli'dably mounted on each countershaft, and means for simultaneously shifting said pinions on said countershafts to mesh one of said pinions with the internal gear on one of said blocks while the other pinion remains out of mesh with the other internal gear.

11. In a wire drawing machine, the combination with a rotatable block provided with a plurality of slots in the periphery thereof, and an annular depression at the base of said slots, of a coiling cage for said block provided with ribs fitting in said slots, and an annular plate connecting said ribs and receiveable in said depression.

12. In a wire drawing machine, the combination with a rotatable block provided with a plurality of slots in the periphery therof, and an annular depression at the base of said slots, of a cage having ribs adapted to fit in said slots to provide a continuous periphery for the formantion of a coil on said block, and an annular plate recei'veable in said despression to be flush with the base of said block.

13. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a pair of blocks mounted on top of said bench and each having a drumportion, a die located between said blocks, and means for applying a driving force to either of said blocks at substantially the point on the periphery of its drum portion where the wire is drawn theron from said die.

14. In a wire drawing machine, a rotatably mounted block having a drum portion for the formation of a coil thereon, and an internal gear of substantially the same diameter as said drum, a shaft extending up wardly within said drum, means for rotating said shaft, and a pinion carried by saidshaft in mesh with said internal gear at substantially the point of tangency of the wire to said drum as the wire is drawn on the block.

15. 111 a wire drawing machine, a block rotatably mounted on a central shaft surrounded by an internal gear, and a countershaft extending upwardly within said block and connected to said gear by a pinion slidably mounted 011 said shaft.

16. In a wire drawing machine, a block having a drum portion for the formation of a 'coil thereon, and means for applying a driving force to said block at substantially the point of 'tangency of the wire to the drum as the wire is drawn thereon.

17. In a wire drawing machine, a block having a cylindrical drum for the formation of. a coil thereon, and means for applying a driving force to said block substantially at the point on the periphery of the drum where the wire is drawn thereon.

FRED B. CROSBY. 

